The Outbreak of the Nigerian Civil War and the Forgotten Atrocities in Cross River

By Okoi Obono-Obla 

The Outbreak of the Nigerian Civil War and the Forgotten Atrocities in Cross River:

Background
The Nigerian Civil War erupted on 6th July 1967 when Nigerian Army troops based in Kaduna were mobilized and deployed to Enugu, the capital of the newly seceded Republic of Biafra. Their mission was to arrest Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Head of State and Commander‑in‑Chief of Biafra, and bring him to Kaduna to face Nigerian justice.

A contingent of troops under the command of Colonel Muhammad Gado Nasko—later Military Governor of old Sokoto State (1978–1979) and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja (1989–1993)—set out from Kaduna by road, moving through Makurdi via Gboko to Ogoja, intending to use the Ogoja–Abakaliki road to reach Enugu.

The Clash at Garkem
On arriving at Garkem (now Garkem Bekwarra Local Government Area), a frontier town at the boundary between Northern and Eastern Nigeria, the Biafran Army opened fire on sighting the Nigerian troops. Fierce fighting ensued, but the Biafran forces were overwhelmed by the superior firepower of the Nigerian Army.

Following the artillery bombardment on Ushara Hills, federal forces captured Garkem by July 12, 1967, and steadily pushed forward to capture surrounding towns in the old Ogoja Province. This dramatic clash marked the beginning of the civil war, which raged until 1970.

Human Cost and Atrocities
Beyond the battlefield, atrocities were committed against minority communities, many of which remain under‑reported. In Akwa Ibom and Cross River States, Biafran forces perpetrated acts of violence that were largely covered up because the affected people were naturally peaceful.

One of the most harrowing examples was the tragedy of Elder Ebri Eteng, a retired permanent secretary and academic, who lost his wife and five children in a single day in 1968 when Biafran forces massacred more than 10,000 people in Biakpan.

Biakpan, a large community in present‑day Cross River State near Ohafia in Abia State, became the target of genocide instigated by Prof. Kalu Ezera, Ojukwu’s political adviser, who hailed from Ohafia. Long‑standing land disputes between Ohafia and Biakpan fueled the violence. Under the guise of distributing relief materials, Biakpan residents—mostly women, children, and young adults—were lured to the market square. Once assembled, Biafran forces opened fire from all sides, killing thousands, before dynamiting homes and destroying the community.

The tragedy and pathos of what befell the late Elder Ebri Eteng exemplified how tragic and brutal a civil war can be. He was from Bikobiko Town in Ugep, Yakurr Local Government Area (then Obubra Division), and served as an officer in the Biafran Army. Cut off from his family, who were in Biakpan—his wife’s hometown—he was unable to protect them when the massacre occurred. His personal loss mirrors the deep human suffering that defined the war’s cruelty.

Legacy and Silence
This tragedy is just one of many atrocities and human rights abuses committed against minority peoples during the war. The painful aspect is that these acts of violence and human rights violations were never acknowledged, but instead swept under the carpet almost sixty years after the unfortunate events.

The silence surrounding these events has denied justice and remembrance to countless victims whose stories remain buried in the ashes of history.

Recommendations and Call to Action
The Nigerian Civil War was not only a military confrontation between the Nigerian state and Biafra but also a period of immense suffering for minority communities whose stories remain overshadowed. Remembering these events is essential to preserving history and ensuring that such injustices are never repeated.

It is therefore suggested that the Government of Cross River State, in partnership with the Federal Government, should erect memorials in both Garkem and Biakpan communities to commemorate these tragic events and honor the memory of the victims. Such memorials would serve as solemn reminders of the cost of division and the enduring need for unity and peace.